One Last Goodbye
by Psychotic Pikachu
Summary: Gary's sister May dies and Ash helps see him through in his time of need


Nurse Joy watched as the electronic doors slip open and in walked a young boy. "Hello, could you heal my pokemon?" he asked.  
  
"Sure, thats what we're here for." she said smiling as she took his pokeballs from him. He smiled.   
  
"Thanks." he said walking over to the computers in the waiting area.   
  
'Such a nice boy' thought Joy as she loaded his pokeballs into the machine. The boy turned on the computer and typed in his information.   
  
"Welcome Gary" it bleeped, 1 message.  
  
"Must be from Gramps, I can't wait to show him all the pokemon data I collected" he said smiling and opened the file. His smile disappeared almost instantly. Gary heard the electronic doors open and then footsteps. But he took no notice to it.   
  
"Hi Joy, could you heal my pokemon?" he heard a voice ask. He knew that voice.   
  
"Why certainly," she said taking his pokeballs, "by the way, young man! Your pokemon are healed!" she yelled to Gary. He pretended not to notice.   
  
"I'll get him," said the other boy. He walked up to Gary and grabbed his shoulder. "Hey man your pokemon ar-- Gary!?" he said. Gary turned to the boy.   
  
"Hi Ash," he said managing a weak smile. Ash knew something was wrong.   
  
"Gary, you ok?" he asked looking at him. Gary burst into tears and buried his face into his hands. Ash backed away. "Hey man, what's wrong?"  
  
"Get away from me!" he yelled.  
  
"Huh?" said Ash, backing away.  
  
"Why me? Why me!?" he yelled pounding the table.  
  
"What's wrong?" Ash asked looking at the screen. What Ash read shocked him.  
  
"Dear Mr. Gary Oak, We Regret to inform you that your sister, May Oak, has died..." it read. Ash looked at Gary who was heartbroken. Ash read on. "...in a car crash, on May 26th. Your presence is requested at her funeral...  
  
"Damnit!" he yelled, "why...? WHY!?" he couldn't stop crying.   
  
"Hey man, it'll be all right..." Ash said trying to comfort him. He found it odd that he was conforting his rival, but he couldn't let anybody just suffer like that. Gary held his necklace in his hand.   
  
"She gave me this, my necklace... I remember, she hand made it... damnit, damnit, damnit, damnit!!" he yelled. Nurse Joy looked concerned but thouht it would be better to leave them alone.  
  
"Hey, don't worry, everything is gonna be fine..." Gary looked at him, whiping away a few tears with his sleeve.   
  
"She meant everything to me, and no she's gone Ash... she's gone..."  
  
"Gary, it'll be ok." Ash said, trying to cheer him up.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so..."  
  
"Well, let's go."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"To May's funeral of course." Ash said. Gary looked at the floor.  
  
"I donno, I think seeing her just might make me feel worse..." said Gary. Ash looked at him, this was a side of Gary he had never seen before, a sensitive side. Ash felt sorry for Gary, despite the bad blood between them. He smiled.  
  
"Hey, that's ok, why don't you spend the night and think it over." Ash said. Gary looked at him.  
  
"Sure, I've got a hotel room reserved if you want to come..." he said.  
  
"Sure, that sounds great." he said. Gary and Ash got back their pokemon and set off.  
  
Late that night, Gary found himself staring at the celing, unable to sleep. He looked over at Ash who was snoring away. Gary sighed and pulled out his backpack. He looked inside and found an old family photo. He looked at all of the figures, his mother, his father, gramps, himself. He looked at himself in the photo, he was smiling so brightly. He wished he could smile like that now. Then he looked at the other person on the photo, May... Feeling tears come to his eyes he silently put away the photo and went to sleep.  
  
"Gary, stay close to me."  
  
"Look at me May! I can balance right on the middle!"  
  
"Gary! Look out!"  
  
"Huh?" The young boy noticed the car right before his sister shoved him out of the way.  
  
"Hey, it's ok don't cry..."  
  
Gary awoke, what seemed to be cold sweat ran down his face. He realized that it wasn't sweat, but tears. 'Damnit...why did she have to die? I didn't even get to say goodbye...' he thought. Gary looked up, as if looking for a sign. He found nothing. Gary cried himself to sleep that night.  
  
"Hey Ash, wake up." said Gary.  
  
"What? Morning already?"  
  
"Yeah, c'mon, we better get going."  
  
"Right." said Ash slipping on his backpack. They walked outside and began the journey back to Pallet. During the trip Gary was nearly silent. Ash didn't try to talk to him, he looked like he was thinking about something.   
  
"Hey Ash." Gary said, breaking the silence.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Thanks." said Gary. Ash didn't even need to ask him what he meant.  
  
A day later they arrived in Pallet. The entire small community was mourning the loss. Gary left for home, he told Ash he was going to prepare a speech of some kind. Ash nodded and also returned home. Gary shoved his way past they many reletives who would be staying in the Oak household. Several of them tried to talk to him but he said nothing. He just wanted to be alone. He went up to his room, took out a piece of paper, and began writing.  
  
The next day, Ash and his mother made their way out to the funeral. Ash was dressed in a suit, his mother was wearing a flower-printed dress. Ash watched as they brought out the coffin, not yet closed. A few words were said and a few people began making speeches. Ash looked around but couldn't see Gary. They were about to close up the coffin when Ash yelled out "Wait! We have to wait for Gary, he'd want to see his sister one last time..." several others nodded. Ash set off to find Gary. He rushed into Gary's room. "Gary you here?" he asked. Then he noticed a piece of paper on his desk.   
  
"To whom it may concern,   
If you are reading this, I am already dead, I cannot take the pain of my sisters death any longer. I will be with her up in heaven, I herby entust my entire pokemon collection to Ash Ketchem. May he be the pokemon trainer I never was..."  
  
Ash quickly threw down the paper and ran out the door. 'Where the hell would he be!?' he thought. Then he noticed the cliffs and started off running. He could just make out a figure in the distance. Out by the cliffs a boy stood. 'The fall will kill me' thought Gary looking at the jagged rocks below. He silently held his breath and walked forward. He swallowed and prepared for the fall ahead...  
  
"Gary!" Ash screamed. The figure turned.   
  
"Ash?" he asked. Ash ran up to him and tried to catch his breath.  
  
"Gary, you can't kill yourself!"  
  
"Why not Ash? I have nothing left now."  
  
"Think of all you have to live for!"  
  
"I don't have anything to live for...."  
  
"Gary! How can you say that? You're a much better pokemon trainer than me!"  
  
"Ash! That means nothing to me! Being a master was my dream, but thats all it is! A dream! This is real life, and life means nothing to me!"  
  
"Gary, think of your parents!"  
  
"You mean the ones who were never there for me!? The Ones who watched by as I suffered!? May was the only person that ever meant anything to me! She was the only one who ever really cared!" he screamed through teary eyes.  
  
"That's not true..."  
  
"Yeah!? Well who else cares!?" he yelled. Ash was silent. "Who else cares Ash!?" he yelled again.  
  
"I do Gary..." said Ash. Gary was silent.  
  
"You're lying!" he protested.  
  
"Gary, you were my best friend, and you still are." said Ash. Gary looked away.  
  
"I treat you like dirt, I'm mean to you, everything, and you're still my friend?"  
  
"Yeah Gary, yeah..." Gary looked at him.   
  
"Ash...I-I'm sorry..." he said, "friends?" he asked.  
  
"Friends," Ash said, "friends forever." Gary managed a faint smile.  
  
"Thanks man." he said. Ash smiled. They began walking back.  
  
"Hey, do I still get your pokemon?" Ash asked. They both laughed.  
  
Back at the funeral everyone was glad to see Gary. He had with him a small box and he silently took out the contents. He took the necklace May had made for him and put it in her palm, he then took out the old family photo and looked at it one last time. Except this time he looked at the other figure in the picture. There was Ash, smiling almost as brightly as him. He smiled, put the photo in the casket and then said one last goodbye... 


End file.
